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Early Family History

Early Surname Meaning

Irish: in Ireland this is generally the English name in 2 below but it was also adopted for any of several Irish surnames that contain or appear to contain moch which means ‘early’ or ‘timely’ including Ó Mocháin (see Mohan) Ó Mochóir Ó Mochéirghe and Ó Maoil-Mhochéirghe (from a personal name meaning ‘early rising’). The name appears in Scotland by the end of the 18th century possibly sometimes from England but mostly no doubt from Ireland.

English: habitational name chiefly from Earley (Berkshire) but Earnley (Sussex) Arley (Warwickshire) Areley Kings (Worcestershire) and Upper Arley (Worcestershire) may also have contributed to the surname. All five placenames are derived from Old English earn ‘eagle’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Americanized form of German Ehrle.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Early family from?

You can see how Early families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Early family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Early families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 249 Early families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Early's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Early families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Early surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Early ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Early. 20% of Early men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Early women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Early were Newsagent and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Early | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Dock Labourer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    7%
  • Newsagent
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

What Early family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 96,000 census records available for the last name Early. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Early census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Early

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Early. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Early immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Early. For the veterans among your Early ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Early military records

You've only scratched the surface of Early family history

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What is the average Early lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Early life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Early in 1940 was 33, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Early

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Early ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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